On the web
www.adventureshow.co.uk
The Adventure Travel Show, held annually at Olympia in mid-January, is a great place to meet people, be inspired and gather information about all sorts of adventure travel, whether it’s trekking in Iran or riding across Mongolia.
www.alessie.com
Providers of Green Card insurance, which will cover your vehicle for the whole of Europe, including Ukraine. The company is based in the Netherlands and is wonderfully efficient.
www.americanexpress.com/uk
Offers competitive, comprehensive travel insurance and also sells travellers’ cheques.
www.cellhire.co.uk
Provider of mobile solutions such as satellite modems,satellite telephones and mobile phones. Communication is an essential consideration when planning a trip such as this. Cellhire can consult and provide you with a package to suit all needs.
Provides security and medical back-up for expeditions, businesses and individuals.
www.dragoman.com
Specialists in overland trips throughout the world. Not only are they amazingly good value and masses of fun, but also their huge orange trucks are a little bit more robust than a tuk tuk.
www.embassyworld.com
Index of embassies and consulates around the world.
www.expat.ru
Online community of expats living in Russia. An excellent source of information on everything to do with Russia, from getting visas to the best places to eat in Moscow.
www.fco.gov.uk
A great source of travel advice, information and up-to-date reports on political and medical situations around the world. Worth reading and rereading before you enter each country.
www.gear-zone.co.uk
Suppliers of the best brands of outdoor equipment, including The North Face, Berghaus, Karrimor, Craghoppers,Vango and Terra Nova, to mention just a few.
www.go-overland.com
A good resource for anyone contemplating an overland trip.
www.gt-rider.com
Essential information for bikers (and Ting Tong) on the roads, weather, laws and much more in Thailand and Laos.
www.horizonsunlimited.com
Anything you ever wanted to know about circumnavigating the globe by bike (or tuk tuk). This was our number one site for research purposes, providing information about routes, equipment, useful contacts and border crossings.
www.intrepid-expeditions.co.uk
Purveyors of the finest survival courses and ration boxes. A must for anyone with a penchant for skinning rabbits and building hasty shelters.
www.khaosanroad.com
An essential website for visitors to Bangkok and Thailand—tattooing, eating, sleeping, partying…
www.kkp.kz
Insurance company based in Almaty. They insured Ting Tong for us while we were in Kazakhstan. In most other countries, we simply bought insurance at the border.
www.mooncup.co.uk
A Mooncup is an environmentally friendly option to use when you have your period—throw away those tampons and towels forever.
www.nomadtravel.co.uk
Nomad have been kitting out travellers with clothing,equipment,books, maps, medical supplies and vaccinations for 13 years. They provided us with a fantastic medical kit and lots of gear.
www.prepare2go.com
Runs rallies and raids around the world, and offers advice and hands-on support to government agencies, commercial interests and independent travellers.
www.rgs.org/eac
The Royal Geographical Society’s expedition advisory centre—a fantastic resource to help you plan your trip.
One-stop shop for all maps and travel books.
www.stantours.com
Run by David Berghoff in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this specialist tour operator organises accommodation, trekking, riding and anything else you fancy doing in Central Asia.
www.statravel.co.uk
STA travel offers a range of travel services, including cheap flights, insurance and accommodation.
www.travcour.co.uk
If you’ve got ten different visas to apply for and neither the time nor the inclination to do it yourself, then Travcour will do it all for you. A highly efficient service that is well worth the extra cost.
www.travelfish.org
An online travel guide to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Well organised, nicely designed and chock-full of good information.
www.tuk-tukimportsuk.co.uk
A UK-based company that imports traditional Thai-made tuk tuks that are road-legal throughout the UK and Europe. These tuk tuks come from the same factory as Ting Tong.
www.ultrasealuk.biz
Miraculous puncture prevention, essential for anyone contemplating any overland adventure, be it on two, three or four wheels.
www.wildernessmedicaltraining.co.uk
Specialists in teaching advanced medical skills for use in remote, foreign environments. We attended one of their excellent courses at the Royal Geographical Society.
The fantastic Expertise tuk tuk factory in Thailand where our three-wheeled mean machine was born.
China Sea International Travel Service (CSITS)
They don’t have a website. Contact Lifeng Liu, tel: +86 10 6717 2699; fax: +86 10 6710 2324. The CSITS arranged our permits, licences, guides and itinerary for travelling through China. Expensive but mandatory.
Books
Boorman, Charley and McGregor, Ewan. The Long Way Round, Time Warner Books, 2004.
Central Asia. Lonely Planet Publications, 2004.
Central Asian Phrasebook. Lonely Planet Publications, 2004.
Central Europe. Lonely Planet Publications, 2005.
China. Rough Guides. 2005.
Collins Pocket Russian-English Dictionary
Hare, John. The Lost Camels of Tartary: A Quest into Forbidden China, Time Warner Books, 2000.
Hopkirk, Peter. Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, John Murray, 1984.
Laos. Lonely Planet Publications, 2005.
Poland. Lonely Planet Publications, 2005.
Russia and Belarus. Lonely Planet Publications, 2005.
Sclar, Deanna. Auto Repair For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
Scott, Chris. Adventure Motorcycling Handbook,Trailblazer Guides, 2005.
Stanhope, Nick. Blood, Sweat and Charity:The Ultimate Charity Challenge Handbook. Eye Books, 2005.
Streatfield-James, Dominic and Wilson, Paul. The Silk Roads: A Route and Planning Guide. Trailblazer Guides, 2003.
Thailand. Rough Guides, 2005.
Thai Phrasebook. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, 2003.
Ukraine. Lonely Planet Publications, 2005.
Finally, we used a wide selection of maps, which we purchased both from Stanfords in the UK and when we were on the road.